Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-11
LYING In STATE.
THE GREAT PREACHERS REMAINS IN
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
The Private Services ct the Residence
The Great Rush to View the Body
Mr.. Beecher's Will.
rRr telegraph 70 the Dispatch


with people this morning. At s o'clock
Police Captain Campbell and n squad OF
twenty police took up their stations in
front of the house A large number of
floral emblems were received before
the private services commenced. Two
vreaths of white roses, lilies of the val
lev, and smilax were received by Mrs.
Colonel Beecher early in the morning.
Those bore the cards of Ellen Terry
and Henry Irving. Mrs. s. v. White
sent pillow of white roses. The coffin
rested IN the centre of the front parlOr,
and was surrounded with a bank of
fragrant flowers. The sweet perfume
of the flowers pervaded the air, and on
all sides could be seen floral emblems
from friends and admirers of the dead
divine. The remains were dressed IN
suit of black broadcloth, with
frock-coat buttoned up and right
hand laid across the breast. The fea-
lures were natural, and there was n smile
upon the face. The long gray hair was
brushed back over the ears, the same as
Mr.. Beccher wore il while alive. Early
in the morning before the services Mrs.
Beecher went into the parlor and stood
by the coffin for some time. She bent
over the remains, and after implnnting
a kiss upon the cold lips was led into
the beck room. Promptly at9:30 O'Clock
Rev. Charles II. Hall, of the Church OF
the Holy Trinity, entered the house
After short conversation with
Major Pond he entered the front par.
lor and commenced to read the burial
service from the ritual of the Episcopal
Church. ! quartette consisting OF l..
Werrenrath, tenor G. Chaplin, basso;
Ms. Wcuenrath, soprano, and AIRS.
Lazar Studwell, contralto, sang
"Jesus, Lover Of Ny Soul" " Beyond
Signing and Weeping" and "Come,
Holy Spirit" While the services were
in progress in the house Company q,
known as the Plymouth company, Ihir-
teonth regiment, were drawn up IN
front of the house on Hicks street
1Ley were dressed in regulation uni
form-white gloves. white belts, and
white helmets. Captain William i.
Watson WIS in command. Only mem
hers OF tie family and few intimate
friends were present during the services
at the house. The family were seated
in the back parlor. None of the family
were dressed in black. Mrs. Beecher
sat near ;he remains during the reading
of the service, and hy her side were her
| sons and daughters and members OF the
family. She bore up wonderfully during
| the whole Of the ceremony, and was
| quite calm.
At the conclusion of the services at
| the house Rev. Dr. Hall spoke for fiji
| teen minutes He was very much al
| lectcH and evidently spoke from his
| heart lie referred to the strong
| friendship That for years had existed
between them. and said that their
| frieudship began in the old slavery
| DAYS. Why Mr.. Bcecher had enter
| taincd for him OR. HalD such strong,
| answering. and loyal attachment he
| could not say but he could tell why
| il was that he loved Mr.. Beecher 1t
was because Of his great sincerity, his
| noble-mindedness his love for all men.
his sincere sympathy for friend III
trouble, and his many beautiful traits
Of personal character.
The members of the family then re-
tired, and the undertaker's assistants
carried the casket TO the hcarsc, which
stood in the rear of the Thirteenth re-
dment. On the coffin was laid a pail
of bright green ferns, and with It's enc
raid lines intermincled the beautiful
shades of many varieties OF roses. The
Plymouth company which had led the
van of the regiment as it approached
the house, followed the coffin TO the
rear and then took the position OF guard
OF honor. IS the coffin was brought
ont Of the house the bugle band of the
regiment sounded a solemn dirge.
| AZ soon as the guard OF honor had
taken up It's position round the hearsC
the regiment was formed into twelve
file with arms reversed. The process
| SION then moved down Clark street I'M
| I'll the hcarse passed the front Of the
honsc. when the members OF the family
who so desired got in the carriage
in waiting and brought mp the rear
falling in line as the cort'gc moved or
the drum corps playing a funeral marcl
with muflled drums.
On arriving at the church the rcgi
mcnt dcployed and formed double iil'
front to receive the bodyat the Orange
street entrance, in front OF which TN
hearse drew up. The casket was car
ricd in the church mp the Heury-stree
aisle and placed on the dais IN front o
the pulpit. The pail was Drawn bacI
and Tie sliding top Of the casket wa
removed.
The guard Of honor took mp its posi
ton and the regiment filed INTO churcI
in double file 'front.', marched up on
aisle. and passed in front Of the coffin
broaking ranks and passing one file o
each side and then down the other aisl
to the street In the mean time Gene
raj Horalio c. King played Beethoven
burial march as the body was borne /
the church. There viii be music in tn
! church during the whole of the tim
, Tie body lays there.
The regiment then reformed an
, marched to the armory, with the druI
cons Leading. When the regimen
, drew up in front OF the house the colo
= bearers faced TIE door, and the bod
was received with dropped ensigns.
All the afternoon the long line
reople passing through the church I
, view the remains continued to increase
= ard the rush was so great to gain a.
J, mission to the church that the polio
: could not keep the lines. 1t was ther
fore found necessary to increase II
= force Of officers round the church door
II was with the utmost difficulty tn
: the regular worshippers could get insio
the cdifce. As the day advanced Il
- line Of people extended until itreache
{ Fulton street, then down one side
the next block and up another, Wit
another wing across Henry stree
= Ii was estimated that nearly 20, 900 Pc
p ple passed before the catafalque durir
- the day. al this time there was mus
y, On the grand organ. There were
+, many wreaths and bouquets left Oh 4
. bier that special place had to be ma
~ near the platform at the foot of the pJ
~ pit 70 receive them.
The church tonight until IL o'clo'
was more crowded than during the &
teincon. The line OF people waiting
view the remains extended from &
g clhrch to Fulton street, nearly thr
ID llocEs. and enc block down Fulto
o. Policemen were stationed every fl
u xo,ds IN keen the ranks from bel